This invention relates to waste drain pipe traps usable with sinks and other plumbing fixtures, which permit the free flow of waste liquid therethrough, prevent the back-flow of sewer gas, and which can be easily kept free of sediment, etc. which tends to clog the trap. The traps of this invention are designed to separate solid and other foreign bodies from the waste liquids in the drain pipes, and particularly to entrap valuable items such as rings, contact lenses, etc. which may accidentally fall into the waste drain pipes.
The prior art discloses various trap means adapted for use with waste drain pipes for entrapping solids and permitting the flow of waste liquid. Patents disclosing trap means adapted for use directly with the waste drain pipes connected to the sink are as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 594,169 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,770,639 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,886,676 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,903,366 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,788,485 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,198,759 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,217,763 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 1,817,376 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 2,593,734
In other prior art patents, the trap means are located in the conventional waste pipe section forming the U or gas trap portion below the drain portion of the sink, etc. as follows:
Although many of the above trap means can do a satisfactory separation of solids from the liquids, access to the trap means is difficult and hard to clean, and furthermore, do not contain trap means which can do an adequate separation of the solids from the waste liquid.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,935,602, there is disclosed a trap used with a drain pipe having the bottom wall of the U-shaped section provided with an opening across which a detachable closure member can be inserted and secured by means of a strap member. A blocking member comprising a plurality of vertically spaced fingers is positioned within the bottom part of the U-shaped section and can be inserted and removed by the removal of the closure member. Although the trap performs satisfactorily, the blocking member does not retain smaller particles or valuable smaller articles such as contact lenses, etc.